Southern Comfort
by kolchaksghost
Summary: Edward leaves in NM but his love was a lie. Bella was the destined mate of another vampire and she's pissed when she finds the human girl curled up on the forest floor, soaking wet and in pain. Bella/Charlotte femslash. Adopted by AnimeAmber17.
1. Chapter 1

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to, I don't own Twilight – SM does._

**AN: Okay, this is the last new story I'll be starting until I finish up some of the others. That doesn't mean there won't be updates. **

Ch. 1: So It Begins

CPOV (Charlotte)

_Las Vegas lived up to the reputation of being Sin City. With crime statistic being what they are it should rank number 1 in both murders and disappearances alone, but the State Tourism Board obviously cooked the books in that respect so as not to scare off all the little fish that come here to have fun,_ I thought to myself as I tracked my dinner while the four would be rapists stalked a teenage runaway. The girl was completely clueless of the real danger she was in. Then again, the idiots planning on doing all manner of vile things to her thought they were predators. They were about to learn what a true predator was. You see, that old adage about the city being a concrete jungle was right and vampires are the kings and queens of it.

My Happy Meal had made a mistake and got to close to the runaway. The girl was smarter than she looked; she ducked into an all night dive then ordered some food when she sat down at the counter. Foiled, the human monsters started to search for another mark and I decided to offer myself up for consideration. I stepped out of the shadows then walked past them.

There are certain perks to being a vampire, one of which is the change wipes out any imperfections then enhances our beauty and natural assets. My 4-foot 9-inch petite frame was encased in cut-off Daisy Dukes that showed off my tight round ass and shapely legs. The fitted white tank top was low cut and drew the eyes to my mid-B cups. My shoulder length ditch-water blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail. I adopted an expression of being lost and helpless as additional bait. It wasn't long before the fools were on my tail.

The sound of a distant thunderstorm out in the desert tempted me and I decided to end this shit quick. Ever since I was a human child, playing in the rain has been one of my favorite things. I focused on the sound my cowboy boots made on the pavement and the heartbeats of my pursuers to keep my head in the game; there was plenty of time to play afterward. At the first available dark ally, I turned then headed deeper into the shadows. When I was far enough that nobody could see from the street, I turned back to wait. Like the good little sheep they were, my dinner followed after me. They thought they had me cornered but froze when I started to growl.

Normally, I would've made the fuckers suffer before I drained them because they'd been terrorizing women for the last month. They should've counted themselves lucky that I wanted to get to the storm otherwise it would've taken hours before I was satisfied and they begged for death. Truthfully, it was a bit anticlimactic; much like the last time I'd had sex. The curious coed was so nervous that her body stayed rigid the whole time and I was amazed when I actually made her cum. She bolted the second her body stopped shakin' only to run straight into Peter.

Most vamps out there would be shocked and think that he and I had an open relationship. The idea that the two of us were mates was a misconception that was deliberately encouraged from the second we opened our eyes as Newborns. Truth was that Peter and I are twins, not that you'd ever guess we were even related because he's 6 foot tall and looks just like our daddy and I'm fun sized and take after our mamma. Another little bit of irony is that I was actually born ten minutes before him. Another misconception we've perpetrated over the years is our last name, Whitlock. We like to tell nomads we come across that we adopted the name in honor of our Sire but we were born into family.

Our father was the younger brother of Thomas Whitlock and when he and mamma died from a fever, the two of us were sent to live with Uncle Tom. He and his wife raised us as their own along with their three children; Jeremiah, Jasper and Ruth. Jerry was gunned down by a stray bullet when two drunken idiots got into a gun fight. Jasper lied about his age and enlisted to fight the Yankees but went missing a few years later. Uncle Tom lost everything by the end of the War and decided to move the family out West to start over. Peter and I stayed behind for a few days and never rejoined the others.

We were captured by one of Maria's scouting parties and taken back to her camp to be changed. Jasper, who had been in the psychotic cunt's clutches since he went missing, recognized us and quickly bit us before his Sire could. The Newborn Armies and battlefields of the Southern Coven Wars were not pleasant environments for any kind of female. He was there when we came out of the change and quietly told us to act like mates and he'd explain later. It hadn't taken long to figure it out on our own. Despite being one of her better fighters, Maria decided to have the Major – Jasper – kill me after my first year because she thought I didn't have a power. He told me and Peter what was going to happen then helped us escape. The bitch tortured Jasper for six months for his "incompetence."

It took us thirty years to get Jazz away from Maria. He traveled with us for a long time before he sank into depression and went off on his own. Eventually he felt drawn to the diner where he found his mate, the hyperactive Pixiepire. Alice was a sweet gal, even though she forced my older brother to wear pansy clothes and eat animals. Peter and I were jealous of him for a long time, we both wanted mates of our own. My twin finally found his mate a few months ago and it made life at home almost unbearable. It wasn't going to be long before I met my mate and I wanted to get it over with already.

Contrary to what modern authors and moviemakers have led everyone to believe, there was a lot of mystical bullshit involved in vampire mating. For starters, there was the Draw. When a vampire is ready to find their mate, they feel pulled in whatever direction said mate is in. If the mate is already a vampire, then the Draw doesn't happen until both are ready. If the vampire's mate is still human, they feel the Draw and an occasional phantom heartbeat. Both get stronger when the human is reaches the point where they can accept their destiny. I've felt the Draw and phantom heartbeats for just over a year now.

The next three steps are where the belief that it takes three bites to be turned into a vampire came from. It's become common in situations where both parties are vamps to skip straight to that third step but it creates a weaker bond.

The First Bite is what I liked to jokingly call the Stepford Effect. An exchange occurs where the vamp gets a taste of the human's blood then leaves just enough venom to form a scar. In addition to being a warning to other vampires that the human is spoken for, it renders them suggestible and submissive to their mate. The vamps use this as a means to mold the human into their ideal companion. Can you say, "Pavlov's human?"

The Second Bite when the vampire changes their human. The three days the human spends burning from the venom also strengths the bond and conditioning from the first bite.

The Third Bite, or Bitch's Mark, happens after the new vampire and their creator consummate their mating. At the height of their climaxes, they bite each other. While these bites are a sign of their love, they complete a mystic circle. For the Sire, the third bite is a sign of their dominion over their mate and amps up their protective instincts and possessiveness. For the fledgling, it can be the final nail in their coffin. They still have free will but their tie of love and submission to their Sire can never be broken. Unless the Sire wants an equal and allows the fledgling to bite them two more times. If both were vampires from the start, they can still do the three bites; it just means that the second bite doesn't cause the change.

One example that came to mind of that was the Major and the Pixiepire. Jasper, being the sneaky fucker that he was, had been raised in a time when men were to provide for and protect their families; their word was law. Being an Officer in the military then in the Newborn Armies only enforced those beliefs. After marking Alice to cement their mating, used the notion of biting during sex to give her the other two bites but never once allowed her to do the same. The poor girl never realized what he had done but was lucky in that he preferred to use his gift to subtly guide her instead of direct dominance.

Another example was my twin, who wasn't as lucky as the Major. His mate had been changed during World War 2 when woman had to step up and do all the jobs that were held by men while they were off fighting. She only agreed to let him do the three bites if he allowed her to do the same. Instead of the nubile little sex slave he always wanted, he got someone that was his equal in every way.

There was more mystical crap but that was the basics. I still hadn't decided how I was going to go about everything once my mate was ready. While the idea of an equal partnership with my mate is appealing, the warrior in me wanted docile and obedient.

An intense pain in my chest followed by a massive pull to the Northwest made me scream and fall to my knees. My mate was not only ready but in intense pain. I forced myself back to my feet then ran faster than I ever had before. The cell phone in my pocket vibrated once with an incoming text but I was going to ignore it until later. The only thing that mattered at that moment was that my human mate needed me.

It'd been early evening when I left Vegas and was past ten at night when I reached the familiar forests that surrounded Forks, Washington. Last that I'd heard, Jasper was living here with his other family, the Cullen's. Maybe I'd look him up after I found my mate and dealt with what was causing them such pain. It started raining as soon as I crossed the Washington state line and I was worried my mate might get sick. My sensitive hearing picked up frantic, heartbreaking, sobs in the direction the pull was coming from.

Less than a second later, I found girl in her late teens that looked like a half drowned cat. The pull stopped the instant I saw her, she was my mate. All of my senses were focused on her and paused after two steps because she whipped her head around and looked right at me. I wasn't really sure what was more shocking, the recognition of what I was in her eyes or the fact she sensed my presence at all. I actually had a gift, Stealth. Unless I wanted them to, nobody could hear me when I moved or smell me and they'd forget about me after I left their line of sight. We hadn't found out about it until about two years after we ran away from Maria.

I suspected that she was feeling the pull as well and that's what made her turn. The human calmed down a fraction after her eyes found mine. Not bothering to appear normal, I flashed to her side and had her wrapped in my arms. She relaxed a little bit more as she pressed herself closer to me. Her head found the crook of my neck and laid there. There were a few things that needed to be done right away; the first being to get her calmed the fuck down. Her heart was beating too fast and her throat was going to be raw for days if she didn't stop sobbing. Then I'd get her into dry clothes and check for injuries.

Being this close and hyper aware of everything about my mate, I had to fight down the urge to kill when I noticed her natural strawberry and freesia scent was overpowered by some suckpuppy's stench. And it wasn't just any suckpuppy, it was Edward-My-Shit-Don't-Stink-Holier-Than-Thou-Harvey-Firestein-In-Training-Fuckin'-Cullen. The bastard had done something to my mate and he was going to die the second I knew she was okay.

"Hun, I need you to calm down for me, please," I soothed and pulled back just enough to get a better look at her face but ended up getting lost in her milk chocolate eyes.

The spell was broken after my girl tried and failed to stop sobbing. She started to hyperventilate and her sobbing became hysterical. If she didn't get a grip soon, she was going to do herself a lot of harm. I tried everything I could think of to help her but nothing was working. My mind flashed on my earlier musing and instinct took all choice away from us in the blink of an eye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: Maybe next time._

Ch. 2: The First Bite

CPOV (Charlotte)

Before I was able to process what was happening, my teeth punctured the delicate skin of her neck. I sucked gently once and held the blood in my mouth to savor it and left behind just the right amount of venom to make a sexy scar. The blood tasted like chocolate covered strawberries with a touch of something floral. I swallowed the intoxicating nectar and felt the bond settle into place.

"Shh, that's enough of that now. You've been through a lot of stress and your body needs rest. Sleep until morning," I breathed into her ear and damned if the woman shut up and go limp in my arms.

Of course, it was only after she was out cold that I realized I hadn't asked her name or where she lived. The second one wasn't really an issue because I could follow her scent back to her house. Five minutes later, which could've been a hell of a lot faster but I was carrying precious cargo in my arms, I walked out of the forest and into a small backyard behind a two-story blue and white house that looked like it'd seen better days. The girl's scent clung to everything thing, along with a male human I assumed was her father and that fuckin' suckpuppy's.

I started to take her up to her room but that fucker's reek was all over it. The only I was letting her stay in there was over my coolin' pile of ashes. The only other bedroom belonged to the male so I put her in there. Once she was laid on the bed, I flashed back to her room to get her some dry clothes. I growled as I was surrounded by the other vampire's scent and it took every ounce of self-control not to start destroyin' shit. None of her clothes were free of the obnoxious odor, but I grabbed some sweatpants, tee-shirt and underwear before getting out of there. I tossed them downstairs to wash them before I even thought about putting them on her body. There was a linen closet next to the bathroom so I took out a towel then went to at least dry off my mate.

If my self-control had been tested in before, it was given a real workout when I had to strip the brunette haired (I'd just realized) girl out of the wet outfit. Everything about her body had been designed for my pleasure and I wanted to explore every inch of it. _Bad Char, that has to wait,_ I mentally chided myself. If I'd taken my time drying her off, well I was just being thorough. At least that's story I was stickin' with if anybody ever asked.

After I was satisfied that she was dry enough, I examined every inch of her for injuries and bit my tongue to keep from screaming in rage when I noticed the bite scar some dead mother fucker left on her hand. That and Edward's scent were enough to practically guarantee there wasn't an equal partnership in our future. At least not right away, and only after she'd done a shitload of convincing. Of course, I wasn't going to be a stark raving bitch about it.

I found an old quilt draped over the back of a chair and quickly covered her with it then flashed downstairs and out the back door before I completely lost it. My cell phone was practically ripped out of my pocket and I noticed the text from Peter that said he and 'Tori were gonna be here in Forks in the morning. I sent him a quick text back with the address then scrolled through my contacts list until found the number I wanted then hit send. Jasper and the Cullen's moved on a regular basis and were constantly changing phone numbers but he always wanted us to have a way to reach him and bought a burn phone that had an 800 number.

"H-," Jasper tried to say when he picked up after the first ring.

"Skip the pleasantries fucker and tell me what that bitch of a brother of yours did to my mate," I demanded hotly as I cut him off.

"-ey, Char," he finished his greeting then continued, "But what the hell are you talkin' about. Last I checked you ain't got a mate to be messed with and Eddie hasn't messed with any vampires lately."

"She's human, asshole. I found her in the woods drenched from the rain in a fuckin' shitload of pain sobbing and coated in his stench," I growled and knew I'd taken it too far with the attitude when he inhaled sharply.

"Enough Sergeant! Now, I want a full Sitrep," Jazz commanded in full on Major mode.

I took a few deep breaths to calm down then gave a concise reporting of all the facts. It started with how long I'd felt the Draw and ended with my texting the address to the Captain because he and his mate would be here in the morning. The Major and the Pixiepire were pissed when I gave precise details of how I found the human. They also agreed that Edwards scent being on all of her clothes was a deliberate act on his part.

When I finished giving him the Situation Report, he briefed me in turn. The first thing he told me was that my mate's name was Isabella Marie Swan, but she preferred Bella, and she was the daughter of the local Police Chief. Then he gave me a rundown of her misadventures since moving to Forks, including the incidents with the rapists in Port Angeles and the nomad – James. That part of the report she'd already known from a separate source but without names attached to it. She was less than thrilled at the relationship her mate had had with Twatward but secretly pleased he'd been too much of a prude to do anything but leave Bella frustrated and not defiled by his nut juice.

"You need to get back to the house, Alice had a vision of a phone call that's going to upset Bella but wasn't able to see what it was about. We're going to be in Vancouver for a few days, call us with an update and we'll make plans to meet. And do me a favor, please find out what that bitch said to her; I sensed he was lying to the family but I want to know the truth. Oh, and Alice said that Charlie has a box of clothes that Bella's mother left behind when she walked out on him. He washes them once a month then puts the box back in his closet," Jasper told me after he finished telling me about my girl. I hung up then rushed back inside.

True to Pixiepire's word, there was a box of clothes in the back of the Chief's closet that'd belonged to his ex. From the sizes, it looked like they'd fit Bella with no problem. I pulled out some jeans, socks, flannel shirt and a pair of panties but there were no bras in the box. I left them neatly folded on the bed next to her, along with the handset for the cordless phone, and then went downstairs to make her something to eat. My foraging through the kitchen revealed that most of the food in the house was crap, even by human standards. There was nothing of any nutritional value whatsoever.

"Well that's about to fuckin' change with a quickness," I muttered as I made her a peanut butter sandwich. My Sugar was going to not just be eating better but exorcising as well.

I paused as I heard the phone ring and Bella's voice rasped, "Hello?"

"WHAT! I'm on my way," she continued after a pause and I knew she was in both emotional and physical pain.

A few minutes later, she stumbled down the stairs but caught herself before she could fall to the floor. Bella was headed for the door, eyes filled with pain, when she noticed me and stopped. I wondered what was going to react and hoped it wouldn't be by screaming. My Sugar threw me for a loop by launching herself at me. She clung to me desperately and fought back the sobs that wanted to get out of her. I wrapped my arms around my mate and rubbed soothing circles on her back. She snuggled closer then took in my scent.

"Hospital," she whispered hoarsely.

Automatically, I understood that she wanted me to get her to the hospital the quickest way possible. Forks was a small town and like all small towns across the country, the highway was the main drag and all major buildings were just off of it. I picked her up bridal style and rushed out of the house then followed my nose to the hospital. Sure enough, it was just off the highway on the other side of town. I found an out of the way corner in the shadows and set Bella on her feet. She grabbed my hand then tried to bolt for the Emergency Room doors. I let her pull me after her.

The two of us rushed through the doors then after a brief pause, my mate led us towards a group of Native Americans, some of whom smelled like wet dog and compost (I don't care if that shit is good for the environment, it smells rank). An old white guy in medical scrubs turned our way when the others looked in our direction. He broke from the group and walked up to us.

"Dr. Gerandy, how's my father? When can I see him," Bella whispered as she rubbed her raw throat.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but he had a massive heart attack and passed away in the back of the ambulance en route," the doctor explained sadly then patted her on the shoulder.

Her body started to shake but the second I squeezed her hand it stilled. She stood straighter then squared her shoulders and said softly but hollowly, "Thank you, Dr. Gerandy; I know everyone did their best to safe him. He wished to be cremated, so if you could arrange for the body to be sent Tanner's Mortuary. If you'll excuse me, I need to go speak with the others then I want to say goodbye to my father."

When Jasper had been telling me about Bella, he mentioned that she was the most selfless person he'd ever known. I was able to experience the truth of those words first hand. She locked down all of her emotions the second the doctor broke the news and kept them in check as we walked the short distance to where the others waited. Even I could tell they were in pain but my Sugar wasn't goin' to let them see hers because they needed her to be strong. A russet skinned girl about a year older than her with a tear streaked face ran up to us while we were still a few paces off and pulled Bella into a tight hug.

"God, Bella, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault. Charlie would still be alive if I hadn't…," the young woman lamented but stopped and looked at a tall, well built man, in his early twenties with pleading eyes.

Bella followed her gaze then scrutinized the hate filled expression on an older man in a wheelchair. Her eyebrows furrowed for a few seconds then her eyes went wide. It was like she'd just figured something out but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was. She pulled back from the other girl in order to see her better.

"If you hadn't what Lee… morphed into a giant furball and want to play fetch," the brunette commented humorously but I knew it was forced. There were several shocked gasps from the rest of the group then all Hell broke loose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: Twilight is SM's toy but I'm playing with it._

Ch. 3: Confusion

BPOV

There were a few seconds of stunned silence after I admitted I knew the truth of the Tribal Legends. The next thing I knew, all the Quileutes started yelling. What I didn't know is why they were so upset because Billy had already known since the day I confronted him for trying to tell Charlie. _Charlie…_ thinking my father's name caused pain to stab in my heart but I wasn't about to let anyone see it. My vampire was getting nervous as we watched a few of the boys start to shake so she stepped in front of me.

_My vampire… where did that come from? When did this strange human drinker become my vampire? And why did it that thought comfort me, _I wondered but ignored my confusion and focused on the shouting people in front of me.

The nurses nearby started to glare at us and Dr. Gerandy was walking our way at a brisk pace. Sue waved him off, glared back at the nurses then ushered us into a waiting room and closed the door so we had some privacy. It was small and there weren't enough chairs for everyone and my family friends looked shocked when the petite vampire placed me on her lap after she sat down. Their shock was broken when Jacob stormed over to us shaking like he was going through withdrawal.

"Get off that bitch and get over here, Bella. Your precious _Cullen _is gone and you belong to me now, my dad promised me," he seethed and I saw red. Before my thoughts caught up with my actions, I jumped up then stood in front of Jake and smacked him. A bit of my pain had leaked through when he mentioned the bastard but I pushed through it.

"Listen up jackass; I don't care if _He_ is gone because I don't belong to any… **You** and I never will," I hissed and was confused why I changed the word that was supposed to be anyone to you. Even more confusing was why the blonde vampire's face popped into my head when I was about to say it.

Jacob's body started to shake even more and a couple of the other boys pushed him out the door at the silent command from a guy I recognized as Sam from my trip to First Beach. I guessed they were trying to get him outside before he wolfed out.

"Why is everybody acting all surprised that I know the truth about your legends? I was dating a vampire. Jake was the one that told me the story in the first place and I helped me piece together what the Cullen's were. Even Billy knew that I knew. He actually sent Jake to my Junior Prom to give me your "We'll be watching" warning," I mused and was getting tired of the confusion that seemed to be my permanent state tonight.

I noticed Billy's guilty expression as everyone turned on their glares on him. My dad's friend, Harry Clearwater – Leah's dad, turned back to me and cleared his throat.

"Bella, Billy never told us anything," he admitted with barely contained rage and as much as seeing the wheelchair bound man get his come upence was appealing, I really wanted to know what happened to my father.

"Will somebody, please, tell me what happened to Charlie and why Leah blames herself," I pleaded and all arguments were quickly forgotten.

Sue, Leah's mom, looked at me nervously than began when my vampire pulled me back into her lap, "You know that Harry and I have been divorced for about ten years? Well, a year before you moved out here, Charlie and I started dating. He didn't know how you'd take it so we started sneaking around."

"I knew all of that, Sue. Charlie would often come home from "fishing trips" smelling like your perfume and a little too happy for somebody that spent all day trying to catch fish. Besides, Leah and I figured we'd end up sisters so we started talking to each other. Whenever I wasn't hanging out with… _Him,_ I was with her and Seth getting to know my future siblings. Then there was the time that I came home early from work and I heard the two of you upstairs," I revealed with a small smile and she blushed while Harry and her kids chuckled.

"Riiiight, well… um… this afternoon, your father asked me to marry him. We called Harry to give him the good news then had to wait for you kids to get out of school to tell you. While we waited, Charlie took one of the blue pills and we… _celebrated._ We'd just finished when Leah and Seth came home. He wanted to pick you up then take everyone to dinner in Port Angeles to break the good news. Anyway, we were about to get into the cruiser when Billy showed up and started yelling at me and Charlie. He told us that the Council would forbid us from getting married and how your father was going to be banned from coming to La Push.

"Leah started to get mad and shake when she saw me crying. She doubled over in pain then exploded into a giant wolf before Charlie could see if she was all right. The shock of seeing that caused him to have a heart attack. When Seth saw Charlie fall to the ground, he phased and tried to attack Billy. My Lee Lee was so upset that she'd hurt Charlie that she ran off. Thankfully, Harry showed up with Sam and the rest of the Pack. They stopped my boy before he'd done something that would've haunted him for the rest of his life," Sue explained then Leah came over to me but looked to the vampire for permission before she got too close.

"It took Sam a few hours to get me calm enough to phase back into my human body. Charlie refused to be moved until he knew I was okay. We got back just before he passed out. He motioned me over then pulled me into a hug and said his last words, "The legends are true. You're a Protector… I'm proud of you, Lee… look after your mom, brother and sister… keep them safe and love them because I'm not going to be able to anymore," mom and I held his hands when the ambulance arrived. I'm sorry, I killed him," Leah sobbed and it pissed me off so I smacked her too.

"Stop that self-pity shit this instant, Leah Clearwater. You didn't kill Charlie. You. Are. Not. To. Blame. For. His. Death. If anyone is to blame then it's Billy Black. If he hadn't been such a colossal asshole, Sue wouldn't have gotten upset and you wouldn't have phased," I told her honestly and made sure she saw the truth of my words in my eyes.

Harry and Old Quil were the first ones to agree with me, much to Billy's irritation. Another argument started and the older Black was eventually stripped of his position on the Council of Elders. I was tired of dealing with other people's crap and wanted to see my dad. For some reason, I looked back at the vampire for permission then left the room after she nodded. Just as the door closed I heard her introduce herself to Leah and Sue.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself to y'all earlier but it didn't seem like the right time. I'm Charlotte Whitlock," the petite blonde said and I smiled at how beautiful her name was.

Charlie's skin was waxen but his expression in death was one of peace. There was even a small smile on his lips. He should've been alive and happy not the corpse in the bed in front of me. After mourning the loss of my scatterbrained mother for so long, he'd finally moved on. This was supposed to be his Happily Ever After. Instead, Fate decided to take everything away from him. No, it wasn't Fate but some jealous prick that chose to interfere with Fate's design that caused this tragedy. I'd seen it in the waiting room as Billy Black leered at Sue when he thought nobody was watching. He wanted her but Charlie, his friend, had won her instead and the crippled fuck wasn't going to let either of them be happy.

I wanted to be angry but I finally understood why Charlie looked so happy. He'd died the way he lived, protecting what he valued most. He knew that Leah would be eaten up by guilt and blame herself but he stubbornly held on to life until he could see that she would be all right. He'd even given her something to take her mind off the emotional turmoil; taking care of his family because me, Sue, Seth and Leah were his family. My father had always known I was strong because I raised my mother then moved here and helped take care of him. Leah still needed to find that inner strength and I knew she would.

The door opened then closed behind me while I placed one last kiss on my daddy's cheek. I'd been through so much today and my emotions were getting increasing harder to control. Charlotte's scent reached me before she pulled me into a hug. She smelled of creosote, windswept mesas and… home. _She is my home,_ a voice whispered in the back of my mind. Silently, she broke the embrace then took me outside and carried me home. It was like she just knew what I needed. My confusion returned with full force and it was giving me a headache.

We made it back to my house and Charlotte sat me down on the couch and flashed upstairs to the bathroom. When she returned, the vampire handed me a glass of water and some aspirin; again, just like she knew what I needed. Memories from tonight were all jumbled in my head and I was nearly too exhausted to put them in some sort of coherent order. My emotions were starting to break through the mental prison that kept them in check but I needed to hold on for a little while longer.

"That bite, all of these weird feelings I have are because of the bite you gave me," I whispered in a moment of insight.

"Yes, but the explanation can wait until morning. I talked to Jasper and Alice earlier and they wanted me to tell you that they and the Cullen's love you and only left because Edward threatened to go to the Volturi if they didn't. They want to know exactly what he told you because he told his family that he explained everything. That you accepted that they needed to leave to keep you safe and have a normal life. From the state that I found you in earlier, my guess is that he lied to them. In fact, I'm sure the polesmoker has done nothin' but lie to you from the beginning," she replied and I felt my control break.

The blonde pulled me into her lap and just held me. She stroked my back while she rocked us back and forth as my emotional sobs shook my body. My already raw throat was getting even more sore. This time, Charlotte let me cry myself out. The last thing I remembered was being carried up to bed.

CPOV (Charlotte)

My poor Bella was even more wiped out than she'd been when I first found her. I laid her back down on her father's bed and put the quilt back over her. There were a couple of things I wanted to do before I curled up with my mate so I closed the door behind me as I left the room. The first thing was to call my older brother and have him and Pixiepire get their asses down here. I pulled out the phone and made the call.

"What happened," a frantic Alice answered and I imagined that she snatched the phone from her husband's hand the second it started to ring.

"Calm down, woman, the short story is that Charlie died from a heart attack when the daughter of his fiancé turned into a giant wolf," I explained quickly then Jasper grabbed the phone and gave a detailed account. He said they were on their way and would get here in an hour so I thought it was a good time to drop another bombshell.

"Just so y'all know in advance, Peter's mate is Victoria. She's not a threat," I stated then hung up before I was assaulted with questions that it wasn't my place to answer.

My next task was to conduct a thorough search of Bella's bedroom. I'd left the window open from when I was looking for clothes for her and it should be aired out a bit by now. The suspicions that I'd had earlier were confirmed but I also found some things that I hadn't expected. The bastard had hidden the bag with all her birthday presents under a loose floorboard. In the false bottom of the drawer to her nightstand I found some books that proved the supposedly shy human had a bit of a naughty streak.

After my discoveries, I crawled into bed with my mate and waited for the Cavalry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: The story's mine but the setting and characters belong to SM._

Ch. 4: Answers, Pt. 1

BPOV

I'd only been asleep for a few minutes when the front door slamming shut woke me up. Instinctively, I knew Charlotte wasn't in the house but didn't know the reason why she left. Pain seized my heart when I realized that the vampire was mad at me because I'd failed to please her. The need to please her and prove that I belonged to her overpowered every other thought in my head. The sound of Charlotte coming inside let me know that I only had a few minutes before I had to prove my devotion to the blonde. My hands moved on their own accord and made short work of getting ready.

Charlotte eventually came in then crawled into the bed. She was able to tell that I wasn't sleeping and she hissed when she discovered that I was naked under the quilt. I glanced into her eyes and whimpered after I lowered them to show proper respect. My head tilted to the side, exposing my throat and her bite, at the same time my legs spread and opened myself to her. Where my mind failed to understand why I'd done these things, the more primal part of me knew I belonged to this vampire. My body was hers and I needed to offer it up for her pleasure.

With a growl, Charlotte pulled me to her as her cold arms wrapped around my body. Her body hovered above mine, all of her weight being supported by her forearms. I chanced a look into her eyes and they were black as night. The vampire's lips ghosted along my jaw then placed a chaste kiss on my lips. Then, abruptly, there was a swoosh of air and the petite blonde was on the other side of the room breathing heavily. Never had been so vulnerable before anyone before, not even Edward, and the pain of her rejection was worse than I'd ever experienced before. That's when I knew that he'd been right, I was worthless and nothing was going to change that.

I hadn't realized that I was crying again until Charlotte had me in her arms, her clothed front pressed into my naked back. My mind wanted me to struggle to get out of the room but my heart and body refused to put up any kind of fight. Only after she started to purr, did my body relax and my crying stop. She waited for a few minutes after I calmed down then started talking.

"I'd wanted to wait till morin', Sugar, but after this little reception I think now is as good a time as any to explain things," Charlotte said in my ear and I had to force myself to pay attention.

The vampire went on to tell me about how Edward had never been my mate because she was, and then explained the basics of mating. Hearing about the effects of the first bite put a lot things into perspective for me. I understood the reason why I felt so confused by my reactions toward her but it all wasn't just mystical vampire crap. There was no way to hide the whole truth from her when she smelled how aroused I became when she told me that I was submissive to her.

Charlotte asked me about it but I refused to answer. When she ordered me to answer, I had no choice but to obey. It was a secret I hadn't shared with Edward, or any of the Cullen's for that matter, because I knew that he'd never accept it. Before he came back to the States to play in the Minors, Phil had played baseball in Japan. While he was there, a teammate introduced him to a whole new world by taking him to a Bondage Club. One trip was all it took for him to embrace the B&D lifestyle.

He'd been dating Renee for a few months when I accidentally walked in on them in the middle of a "Scene." Instead of running away embarrassed, I wasn't able to stop watching and becoming oddly aroused. Thankfully, there had been no sex involved because it was already creeping me out enough when I finally came to my senses but it was too late to bail because they'd seen me. The end result was an awkward conversation that lasted for a few hours.

Renee had always been open about her sexuality and we often talked at length about it. She'd admitted that night that she'd been worried because I'd never shown any sign of sexual interest whatsoever. After I'd reluctantly told her how what I'd just seen had made me feel, she was actually thrilled in some weird, Jungian, way. The three of us discussed Bondage and Discipline from various perspectives then both my mom and Phil suggested I read up on the subject. Phil loaned me books that he thought had the best information for the curious and beginners.

I'd been sixteen at the time and spent the rest of the year devouring every book on the subject Mom and Phil were able to find. Two days before my birthday, they had taken me out to eat and seemed rather anxious. There was a lot of tap dancing during our dinner conversation but they eventually got to the point. They asked about my research and I told them that after everything that I'd read the idea not only still appealed to me but felt right. Not that I'd been able to do much about it before I left Phoenix.

Charlotte laughed a little then explained that she was fine with it because B&D wasn't just about sex, which she was fine with, but respect. It was the same with being the submissive in our mating. There were going to be rules for me to follow but that was going to have to wait for now. For the moment, I needed to get as much sleep as possible because the next few days were going to be stressful.

"I can't sleep," I whined and she sighed.

"I think I know a way to help you out," she whispered huskily and my body automatically tried to open itself for her.

"Not yet. We'll have sex eventually but you just lost both your father and your first real relationship all in one day, Sugar. Until you've had the chance to mourn the loss of each of them, I ain't touching you below the waist and you're not allowed to do it either. There will be absolutely no penetration till after you change. There are other ways I can give you release, however," she purred.

Tingles of pleasure shot through my body when Charlotte brushed her nose along the scar she'd left on my neck and I gasped. My gasps became moans as her delicate fingers lightly stroked my breasts and play with my hardened nipples. I felt my already wet core pulse in time her mammary manipulations. I started to pant as the waves of pleasure built and the muscles in my stomach tightened as I taken farther and farther to the edge. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, I screamed as my body shook from the first orgasm I'd ever experienced. There was no more energy left in me and I drifted to sleep in a blissful haze.

CPOV ( Charlotte)

Bella had shocked me when I got back to the room and found her awake but naked under the quilt. Her whimpering and submissive posture as she opened herself for me made my beast growl in delight. It was hard not to change her, fuck her and give her the third bite then and there. To prevent that, I flew out of bed and stood in a corner until I was calmed down but Bella had thought I rejected her and acted accordingly. My inner turmoil was pushed to the back of my mind and forgotten as the need to sooth my mate took over.

Once she was back to normal, I explained everything about mating that had been thinking about earlier. I smelled her arousal when I mentioned submission but wasn't surprised when she told me her deep dark secret because I'd found three books on the subject as I was searching her room. I glossed over the fact that she was going to have some rules, briefly touched on the sex thing and finally helped her body relax enough to get some sleep. The bond between us was working well enough that I knew she'd just had her first orgasm and couldn't help that I felt smug about it. Unfortunately, I'd been so wrapped up in meeting my mate's needs that I failed to sense Jasper and Alice when they walked through the back door. When I was sure that she wasn't about to wake up anytime soon, I climbed out of bed then went down to face the music.

My older brother and his wife were waiting for me in the living room. The Pixiepire looked pissed off about something and the Major was rubbing a bite mark on his neck. From the smell of the venom, it was still pretty fresh. He glared at me when I gave him a questioning look.

"Alice had a vision about your little talk with Bella on the way over and bit me before I could find out why she was so angry," he fumed.

"Serves ya right, fucker. If I was her, I'd have waited until I was goin' down on ya then bitten your dick," I shot back with a more pronounced drawl. Alice grinned wickedly at me while Jasper growled for giving her the idea. To diffuse the situation, I started in on the usual small talk. What they'd been up to, how the rest of the family was; that kind of shit. Once they were both mellower, it was time to move on to the heart of everything.

Jasper's cell phone rang and he smiled briefly when he noticed the caller id. He answered as he walked out the door, "Hey Sam, it's been a while."

I stared after my brother with incredulity but when I turned to ask Alice to explain, she was gone. From the sounds, the psychic was up in Bella's old room. I'd remembered that I hadn't straightened up after my search when I heard her giggles. A few minutes later, she came down the stairs pouting with a book in her hands as Jazz walked back in.

"Jazzy, how come we don't have this one," she complained and held up the book so we could read the title.

"Our little Bella is freak, it's always the quiet ones," he chuckled then answered her question, "Because ya never showed interest in Japanese Rope Tricks, Darlin'."

They both noticed that their exchange was a little TMI for me and quickly got back on track.

"Sam wanted to know if he, Leah, Seth and Sue could come over tomorrow. I told them that to wait until the afternoon then everything would be fine. Bella's as much a part of their family as she is of ours," Jasper explained about his call.

"You know Sam and the wolves," I asked intrigued.

"Yep. About two months before Bella moved here, Harry Clearwater had a heart attack while out fishing with Charlie and Billy Black. Despite Black's protests, Charlie called Carlisle for help. Being a doctor, and the compassionate man he is, Carlisle risked death by breaking our treaty with the wolves and saved the Tribal Elder's life. Esme worried for his safety so I ended up going with him as protection. While Charlie was on the phone giving the ambulance directions, Billy claimed our actions was an act of war. Sam and the other two members of the Pack at the time, Jared and Paul, showed up and agreed that we'd done nothing wrong.

"Black wheeled off in snit and swore that he'd go to the Council and we hadn't heard the end of this. That left us alone with the wolves for the first time since the treaty was made. Harry's ex-wife and kids showed up and we all went to the hospital together. Those hours we spent together waiting for word on Harry were the first steps toward a better understanding between our kinds. The rest of the Council, much to Black's annoyance, agreed with the Alpha and some clauses were added to the existing treaty.

Sam and I eventually became friends. When I told him about my past, he asked me to help train him and the others," my brother replied.

"How's Bella doing, besides all blissed out in her sleep? Did she tell you what Edward said," Alice enquired with concern and a trace of hostility.

"About as well as can be expected. She was borderline hysterical when I found her, then crossed the border. But the whole time we were at the hospital she toughed it out like a Trooper. With only a couple of slips, she never let the La Push crowd or the staff see her pain. Once we got home, she cracked and I just let her cry herself out then put her to bed but she never said a word about Edward. She was sleeping when I left to call y'all but was awake by the time I finished searching her room," I replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, we were here for the tail end of things," Jasper smirked but looked at his mate questioningly when he sensed her mood.

"I looked through her room while you were on the phone with Sam. It looks and smells like Edward piled all of Bella's clothes up then rolled around in them for a few hours before he put them back. Because I buy all of her clothes, I know that three pairs of her panties are missing. Based on what day it is, they should've been in her dirty clothes hamper but they're not," the Pixiepire told him.

"Peter and Victoria are going to be here a little after sunup. I know she's gonna want to apologize to Bella. I think it would be best if after Sugar is up and fed, that you and Torie talk with her. I'll take my brothers with me when I go grocery shopping and y'all should have plenty of time to find out what that pillow bitin' asspirate told her," I explained and she and Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Since when have Victoria and Peter been mates? How do you know that she's safe," my brother wanted to know.

"They've been together for a few months. She told us a little about James and Laurent; she even told us about an encounter with a large coven that kept a human pet and the aftermath. Peter knew she felt guilty about what she did with her companions but he and I also knew that she never told the whole story. I think that'll change today," I commented and he nodded again.

Alice started to bounce up and down then said she needed to go back to the Cullen place to get the clothes that Bella had left there from past shopping trips. I knew my mate wasn't gonna be comfortable in them but we were burning all her old ones. Jazz gave me a look that said we'd protect the box of her mother's old clothes from the Pixiepire's zealousness. I left my older brother on the couch reading the book Alice had brought down while I went back upstairs to lay with my mate.


	5. Chapter 5

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: This story is mine, everything else belongs to SM._

Ch. 5: Answers, Pt. 2

PPOV

Thanks to my gift, I'd known that Vic had some kind of past with Char's human mate but I never pushed her for details. The closer we got to Forks, the more nervous and agitated she got. Once we passed the Welcome to Forks sign, she went absolutely rigid. I held her hand for comfort as I drove our new F350 truck through the quiet street. It was just after sunup and very few townsfolk were out and about. After ten minutes, we found the address that my sister had texted to us and pulled up in front of the house. An ancient Chevy truck and a canary yellow Porsche were parked in the driveway. Jasper, Alice and Charlotte were waiting for us on the front porch and my mate started to panic.

I got out of the truck first then flashed over to her side and opened her door. There was a second of hesitation but she climbed out and stood next to me with her head held tall. Just like a scene from every Western ever made, the two of us stared off with the three of them. Eventually, smiles broke out on my brother's and sisters' faces and they came down to greet us.

"Hey fucker, it's about time you and your ol' lady gave the bedroom a rest for a while," Char laughed as she hugged and kissed Vic then me. Outside of the worry in her eyes because her mate was in pain, I noticed that she looked happy for the first time in ages.

"Well, asshole, were you ever goin' tell me you found your mate," Jasper drawled then gave me a man hug. Alice kissed my cheek, whispered congratulations then shocked Vic by pulling her into a hug.

"I can feel your guilt and remorse, Victoria, and Char told us that you'd want to apologize to Bella. Those emotions prove that you're nothing like James but I want to hear the whole story before I reach a final verdict," Jasper explained to the redhead and Vic offered a small smile then nodded in agreement.

The Pixiepire led the way back inside and we arranged ourselves in the small living room. Jasper sat down in the recliner with Alice in his lap while Vic sat on the sofa between me and Char. The Major nodded at my mate as a directive to start at any time.

"I was born Victoria Michelle Johnson in Pittsburg on New Year's Day 1921. We'd been in WW2 for two years when I got a job on the swing shift assembling Corsair Fighters. Most of the other employees were also women; the only men on the line were either too old or ineligible for military service. The bastards constantly gave us a hard time but I gave just as good I got. One Friday night, a group of us girls got together and went down to a dance at the USO. They were all looking for husbands in uniform but all I wanted was a good time. I think that's what attracted my Sire's notice.

"A couple of drunken Marines were getting fresh so I put them in their place and decided to go home. What I didn't know was the assholes followed me, but they were being followed in turn. They pushed me into an alley not far from my apartment but I wasn't about to be a victim. I fought with everything I, though it wasn't enough. One of the fuckers had a knife and stabbed me. An Angel appeared while I huddled in pain on the dirty ground. She knocked out my attackers then rushed to my side. The bastard must of hit an artery or something because I'd already lost a lot of blood. The woman that had come to my rescue apologized then bit my neck, wrists and ankles. All I felt after that was fire burning me from the inside out.

"My Sire was there when I came out of the change and told me that I had been dying and the only way she could safe me was by making me a vampire like herself. She watched me with her golden eyes as I came to terms with the truth of things, which didn't take all that long because the thirst flared and all I wanted was relief. She dragged my still unconscious attackers into the room and they were my first meal. After I drained them dry, she disposed of the bodies and then she helped me get cleaned up. We spent the rest of the night talking, she explained the rules to me and how I was a part of a unique subspecies among vampires, just like her and her sisters. She also told me about having a choice of feeding from humans or animal and how eye color showed which you fed from.

"Six months after my change, she told me that I had more than enough control to be on my own, unless I wanted to be a part of her Coven. I told her that I wanted to wander around and see the world for a while but that I might take up her offer later. Tanya wished me well then went back to Alaska. I did just that, wandered from place to place but I never drained an innocent. No, my preferred meals were the rapists and other scum that preyed on women. It was outside of Albany, New York, in 1950, that I crossed paths with James and Laurent. They'd been on their way to Philly tracking down some prey of James' that had gotten away when they asked me to join them.

"A couple of years into my travels, I learned that I had a gift. Whenever I found myself facing dangerous situations, I always knew the best ways to avoid them. From the second I laid eyes on those two nomads, I knew they were trouble and I felt that it was best to turn around and head the opposite direction. Laurent caught my hand when I turned to leave and my mind got foggy then it was like I was a prisoner in my own body. As long as he was close by, I stayed in that mental fog and found myself agreeing to do whatever they said. If I wasn't being made to participate in their twisted games, then my body was used to amuse them in other ways. Decades past without a break in the routine but then we came across the Cullen's playing baseball and sheltering a human.

"James chose to hunt the mortal but Laurent believed it was too risky. It wasn't until after the French vampire abandoned us that the fog finally lifted and I was able to be myself again. By then, it was too late; James had gone to Phoenix after Bella and never returned. I wanted to find the Cullen's and apologize but I was too afraid that they wouldn't believe me. I started to wander again then after a few months of dealing with the emotional fallout of what I'd done, I felt a pull and I followed it until I found Peter. We've been together and mated ever since," Victoria explained about her past then waited.

Everyone was silent while we processed what we'd just learned about my mate. Some of the stuff Char and I already knew but this was the first time either of us heard about the effect that Laurent had on her or that she'd been virtually forced to do shit at his and James' whim. If the blonde tracker wasn't already ashes, I'd hunt the fucker down and make his final death as painful as possible. The satisfied smiles on Ali's and Jazz's faces told me that his death was very painful. They welcomed her to the family then my brother decided to clarify something.

"Tanya Denali is your Sire and you're a Succubus," Jazz asked.

"Yep," she replied and popped the p.

"Hell yeah she's a Succubus," I added and she gave me a look that made my dick strain to get out of my jeans. I'm a lucky bastard.

"Shit," my brother swore and I noticed Alice pull out her cell phone and make a call.

"Laurent is up in Denali right now. The last time we talked to Carlisle he told us the manipulative prick was with Irina but that hadn't become mates yet," he told us in response to my confused expression.

It turned out that Ali-cat had called Tanya. After she made sure the Denali was alone, the Pixiepire told her everything. The Denali agreed to get Irina away for some girl time and if it turned out Laurent had bespelled her, they'd take care of the fucker. The tiny vampire perched on the arm of the recliner by her mate after she ended the call. Charlotte was next up and brought me and Vic up to speed. My twin went on to explain how she was taking me and Jazzman shopping with her so the human could be pumped for information by Alice and Vic then she flashed into the kitchen and started making scrambled eggs and sausage for her other half.

BPOV

Despite still being worn out from everything that happened yesterday, I found myself waking up alone in bed at 8 a.m. but wasn't going to stress about going to school today because the news of Charlie's death would've made the rounds of the gossip mill. Besides, it was already Friday and I was going to need the extra time before I faced people. My emotions were still raw but I remembered being told that Jasper was going to be around so I made an effort to put a tight lid on them; he didn't need to deal with that craziness.

I realized that I was still naked under the quilt and memories of how Charlotte touched me and given me my first climax caused a wet spot to form under me as my slick sex demanded attention. My vampire smelled my arousal when she walked into the bedroom carrying a tray of food and smirked. She'd pleasured me last night and the desire to do anything and everything to please her made it hard to breathe. She placed the tray on my lap the directed me to eat.

"Bella, Jasper and Alice arrived last night; my twin, Peter and his mate just got here a little bit ago. I don't want you to be scared but his mate is Victoria. Torie wants to apologize to you, there were some extenuating circumstances you need to hear from her. Its up to you if you accept or not but you will do her the courtesy of listening. To save some time, once you get done eating, we'll share a shower then get dressed. After that, I'm taking the boys shopping for food and you'll have a chance to talk with the girls," Char told me and I tried not to image the Goddess next to me naked.

I heard the door close not long after I sat the tray on the floor by my side of the bed. The petite blonde smiled, held out her hand then commented, "The others have decided to go back to the Cullen place for an hour while we get ready."

I placed my hand in hers then let her lead me to the bathroom. It was just the two of us in the house and she'd already seen me naked so I hadn't bothered to wrap the quilt around me before we left the bedroom. Charlotte closed the bathroom door behind us then stripped at vampire speed. Admittedly, she'd been beautiful when I first saw her last night, then in the light of day she was stunning but my breath caught as I looked at bare body. She was gorgeous; the overhead light glinted of the feint outlines of the scars, left from numerous vampire bites, that criss-crossed her body only enhanced her Goddess-like appearance. My mate's body screamed both danger and safety all wrapped up in a sinfully sexy package. _My mate,_ I thought and couldn't stop the happiness the truth of that brought me. She was my home.

The warm fuzzy feeling of that particular truth was quickly replaced by a spike in my arousal as I continued to gaze at the otherworldly creature before me. With the increased arousal, that need to please her became unbearable and I surrendered to it.

CPOV ( Charlotte)

Being eye fucked by Bella and the smell of her arousal was like a drug and I wanted more. The human stalked over to me with purpose as I waited for the kiss that was sure to come. My eyes fluttered closed while I waited but there was no kiss. I hissed in shock when I felt her hot breath on my neck that was followed by her warm wet tongue as she licked the first scar she found. I moaned and it deepened when she started to nibble along the length of it with her blunt human teeth after only a few licks. The last rational thought I had was that she was claiming the scar as her own but she hadn't stopped with just that one. The brunette proceeded to claim all of the scars on my upper body.

Bella stuck to the rule about no touching below the waist but my pussy was soaked and throbbing. Trails of my juices flowed freely down my legs from my dripping sex. My mate shocked me by whimpering in pain and I snapped my eyes. A growl tore out of my throat as my lust spiked because my mate knelt before me in the Submissive position; hand behind her back and head bowed. From beneath her eyelashes her eyes followed the wet trails down my legs and her pained whimpers increased. Just for a second she looked up at me with pleading eyes and that was my undoing. All I was able to manage was a brief nod but it was enough for her. Almost reverently, she claimed the scars on my legs in the same manner as she had all the others.

She worked her way down the outside of one leg then worked her way up the inside of it, taking time to lap up the trailing liquid. The opposite leg received the same treatment but she was infuriatingly careful to avoid the apex of my thighs. I pushed her away gently then shoved two fingers into my entrance while I worked my clit with the other hand. A powerful orgasm hit me seconds later and I gushed for the first time in my life. I pulled the fingers out of my sex then offered the cum soaked digits to Bella as a reward. She leaned forward then licked them clean. I ordered her touch herself and nearly came again watching her get herself off. As I'd done before, Sugar offered me her coated fingers. I pulled the slender fingers into my mouth and sucked the viscous sweetness from them.

BPOV

Char started the shower after she called a halt to our foreplay. She'd found my old fashioned straight razor along with the cup and brush that held my shaving cream. I was going to shave my legs because I hadn't done that in about a week but the vampire told me to stand still with my legs spread apart. She swirled the brush around after adding a little water to the cup then lathered up my legs and mound. In less than five minutes, the vampire had shaved my legs and trimmed my pubic hair down to a triangular patch two inches wide at the top that tapered down to the point just above my clit. When she was finished, we showered then made ourselves presentable.

I heard the front door shut again as I came out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. Alice and Victoria were waiting for me in the living room with knowing smirks. The old me would've blushed but for some reason, I felt more confident. It was obvious that the Pixie had had a vision about what happened in the bathroom so I just shrugged.

"Licking and nibbling her scars was the best I could come up with and still stay within the rules," I stated then stuck my tongue out at my best friend with made the two vampires giggle.

Victoria told me her story then apologized and I forgave her. It seems we both had been manipulated by dickheads. Alice reassured me that the rest of the family loved me and missed me before she asked the million dollar question. I made sure I still had a tight lid on my emotions then told her how Edward led me into the forest and how he said he didn't love me. That I wasn't good enough for him and how the family thought of me as a pet. Then I told her how he gloated that he'd ruined me for other men and I'd never be able to love another as I had him. Torie (I liked Char's nickname for the redhead because it was a fresh name for her fresh start) and Alice were in a murderous rage when I finished. They calmed down and we spent the rest of the time talking about other stuff while we waited for our mates to get back and the Clearwater's to arrive.


	6. Chapter 6

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing but this story._

Ch. 6: Ropes and Answers Pt. 3

TPOV (Torie)

When Bella came downstairs and saw me for the first time, I started to panic because I thought that she'd never forgive me. Alice had assured me that everything was going to be fine but I had a right to be worried. My rat bastard of a supposed mate had hunted her down like a dog then tried to kill her. If I were in her shoes, I doubted that I'd be in a forgiving kind of mood. The seer and I both noticed that the human girl was no longer as shy as when I first met her. Bella surprised me by not just forgiving me but she embraced me as a member of her family. In a way it was true, we three girls had all mated with a Whitlock.

When my human sister told us what that arrogant fucker said to her, the Pixiepire and me were ready to shred his ass. There was little doubt that Char and the boys would join us but then I revised my plan. Little Sis deserved to have her revenge on the bastard. Alice's eyes glazed over with a vision then she shot me a wicked smile and a conspiratorial nod. I guess she saw my plan to find the longest, thickest and most brutal dildo on planet for Bella to use as she tore up the mind reader's stratochocolata before we ripped him to bits and had a barbeque. The brunette caught our silent exchange and cocked her head to the side.

"What was that about," she asked.

"Well, the Pixiepire had a vision of an idea I had for you to get revenge on Twatward," I explained and she nodded.

"Pixiepire, Torie, The Major, why does everyone but me have a cool nickname," the human girl pouted.

"Well I was thinking we should start calling you Missy," I replied and the two other girls stared at me confused so I elaborated, "Its short for Misfortune. As in you're a danger magnet and anything that is drawn to you suffers great misfortune if they try to harm you. Kind of like those would-be rapists in Port Angeles that Alice told me about or James, Edward and that mutt, Jacob Black. Shit woman, I'm tempted to take you to the Volturi at feeding time just to watch all the fucked up stuff that will happen when they tried to eat you."

"I like it, Missy it is," Alice declared as she giggled and Bella blushed but something in her eyes told me she liked the name.

The diminutive Cullen reached behind her then pulled out a book that had been hidden there. My eyes widened a little at the title and Bella's scent clung thickly to it. _It's always the quiet one,_ I mused a nanosecond before she spoke.

"It seems Charlotte found some interesting books in your room last night," Alice stated with mock innocence. Bella gaped at the book in the tiny terror's hands but hadn't turned scarlet yet. The brunette then proceeded to tell us about her interest in B&D. As I listened to her talk about it and Pixiepire's admission that she and her mate into BDSM, I realized that, outside of occasionally being tied up, it really wasn't my thing. Not that I looked down on anyone that enjoyed it because of the whole consenting adults thing.

"So, if I understand this correctly, you've never actually done anything to explore that side of your sexuality yet besides reading," I asked the human as I continued to wrap my mind around this new information.

"Not really but I've tried one thing that I liked," she admitted quietly then snatched the book from our sister and opened it to a specific page. The image on the page looked like a rope thong or one of those diaper things Sumo Wrestlers wore.

"It's very stimulating to wear," Bella defended when she noticed our doubtful looks.

"When have you ever worn that," Alice demanded in disbelief.

"Sometimes during school but mostly when I know that Edward was on a hunting trip," our human sister shot back defensively.

"Please, Doucheward would've found the rope because it would have your scent all over it," Pixiepire countered to call bullshit on the other girl.

Bella stormed upstairs after motioning us to follow then led us into her old bedroom that reeked of the low down son-of-a-bitch. She continued on to the bed then knelt down then removed a section of the box spring and revealed a secret compartment. As we watched, Missy pulled out a two-foot long, flat rectangular wooden box then closed the compartment. Being one of the only two vampires in the room, I couldn't handle Edward's scent any longer and suggested we move back down to the living room. Once we escaped the reek and were situated back in our original seats, she placed the box on the on her lap and opened it.

The wooden container was like a bondage starter kit. It held several bundles of silk cord, two adjustable nylon straps with D rings set into them, a set of four padded leather wrist/ankle restraints, a blindfold, a small paddle and six twelve-inch loops of fluffy nylon cord connected to a plastic handle that looked like a wussy version of a cat-o-nine-tails. One of the bundles of silk cording had Bella's scent all over it but the others were still wrapped in plastic. My human sister picked up one of the covered bundles then held it out to the smaller vampire as she wore a challenging expression. I chose that moment to get some air because it had started to get a bit much for me.

I stood out on the front porch while my sisters did there thing inside. Thankfully, somebody had hung some thick dark curtains in the front windows nobody was able to see what was going on in the living room. Several of the neighbors came over to ask me how Bella was doing and offer condolences. I told them that she was still sleeping because of the emotional drain which caused then to leave as quickly as they'd showed up.

BPOV

I was proud that I hadn't been embarrassed and had a constant blush when Alice confronted me about my sexual kink. She explained a little about her and Jasper's BDSM predilection, which really hadn't shocked me. What had pissed me off was when she doubted my word when I admitted to trying one of the Japanese rope techniques because a second party wasn't required to do it. I had gotten a lot of smug satisfaction as I watched her jaw drop when I opened my going away present from Renee. My mom wanted me to be prepared if I ever found someone to fully be myself with.

Torie had gone outside to wait for our mates to get back when I handed Alice an unopened bundle of silk cord. Each bundle had been a different color, the one I used regularly was red, and I tried to take her taste into account when I gave her the black one. My sister defiantly accepted the bundle and removed the plastic then stopped with a puzzled expression as she tried to figure out how to do what was in the picture. After she unwound all the cord from the spool, I took it from her and made a two inch by two inch "cork" in the middle of it then gave it back to her. Next, I turned the page and showed her the illustrated step-by-step instructions on the following page.

The evil Pixiepire tried to get me to blush when her vampire mind quickly grasped what to do then hiked up her skirt then removed her panties and wrapped the silk cord around her as instructeAlice flashed around the room and had to stifle a moan as the friction aroused her. Her eyes became unfocused as a vision came to her and she bolted for the back door.

"The wolves, Char and the others will be back in approximately three minutes and I don't want them smelling this," my fun-sized sister trilled before she disappeared. In a near panic, I closed the box then hid it under the couch before I rushed around opening windows to air the room out.

Alice's lingering arousal had only dissipated slightly when time was up and everyone walked through the door. Peter and Torie smirked knowingly. Jasper looked at me with narrowed eyes but I shrugged and tried to pretend I didn't know about the scent. Char's expression flashed pissed for just a second and the submissive part of me wanted to kneel before my mate and beg forgiveness but the rational part of my brain knew I'd done nothing wrong. The three wolves chose to ignore the aroma and Sue, being the only human, had no clue anything was wrong.

My mate's twin sat down where the Pixiepire had been sitting and quickly hid the still open book before anyone else had a chance to register its presence. Torie sat next to him and Jasper had taken up the last spot on the couch. Charlotte placed a possessive hand on my lower back and stood next to me as I greeted the other members of my odd family unit.

"Bella, I hope you're holding up," Sue sobbed as she embraced me then looked embarrassed and cast a worried look at my mate which confused me.

"I'm sorry, I should've asked her permission first," the older woman apologized to Char.

"No worries, hun, you're as much her mother as Esme or Renee. If you were a male or another supernatural creature then it would be a different story," my mate explained but I knew I was missing something pretty basic.

"Why would anyone need to ask for permission to hug me," I asked confused.

"When Jasper and I became friends, he told me all about vampire mating and Soul Mates. Information that got shared with the rest of the Pack through the mind link we all share when phased. Anyway, we all saw the bite on your neck last night at the hospital and the way you and Charlotte acted so we knew that the two of you had completed the first part of the mating process. Your brother confirmed it when we talked on the phone to set up this meeting. We wolves have a similar thing when we mark our imprints, we sort of get very possessive and territorial about our mates," Sam explained before any of the vampires had a chance.

"Oh," I mumbled and blushed over how I hadn't thought of something so obvious.

"Don't worry about it Bells, Sam is the same way with me," Leah admitted then turned around and moved her hair so I could see the rather large bite mark on the back of her neck.

"The only thing I want to know is if you're happy because you deserve it," she added quickly after she turned back to face me.

"Definitely, Char is my other half and makes me happier than I've ever been despite the fucked up way we came into each others' lives," I admitted with a goofy ass smile and all the women awed.

I gave Leah, Seth and Sam a hug and kiss then directed them to take the remaining seats. Char flashed into the dining room then came back with a couple of chairs for us. Once we sat down, she grabbed my hand and held it in her lap. The blonde beauty started the conversation off by telling the newcomers about everything that happened before we arrived at the hospital and I had to recap what went on between me and Edward. Sue was ready to go on the War Path and the wolves were right there with her plan to hunt the fucker down then draw and quarter his sparkling ass. It had taken them about an hour to calm down, even with Jasper's gift, before we were able to continue the conversation.

"What was all that crap Jake spewed last night about," I demanded when we finally got back on track.

"I'm afraid that goes all the way back to his great-grandfather. Ephraim Black was the Alpha of the last pact and thereby Chief of the Tribe. He was a manipulative domineering asshole that thought both positions gave him the right to do whatever he wanted. Through intimidation and violence he was able to bend the tribe to his will. The bastard also thought it was his given right to spread the wolf gene around by sleeping with as many girls in La Push as possible. He once disappeared for about a month, right around the time a series of brutal rapes had taken place up on the Makah Reservation.

"When Billy's dad was killed in Korea and his mom committed suicide while he was an infant, he was given over to the tender care of his grandfather. The younger Black grew up with Ephraim's twisted beliefs and took them to heart. When the old bastard was finally gutted by a passing vamp, his protégé tried to continue like it was business as usual but Billy wasn't a wolf and couldn't bend everyone to his will. The Council was able to force him to admit the truth that Embry Call was his illegitimate son this morning.

"From what we were able to learn, as soon as Jacob showed the first signs that he was about to phase; the jackass told his young son everything. He even promised that you were his the second the boy transformed. Billy told him about being kicked off the Council and late last night, the idiot tried to challenge Sam to become Alpha," Sue explained and gave the Alpha a quick visual once over.

"Did you get hurt," I demanded with concern.

"No, Jake wasn't so lucky but I stopped short of killing him. I opted to banish him instead. He knows that if he attempts to come back to La Push that the Pack has been given the kill order. I took pleasure in informing the whelp that if he tried to stay in Forks, that the Cullen's or their allies had free reign to kill him as well," Sam responded in a grim tone then let the tension drain from him and his face adopted a more pleasant countenance.

"Well, we all should probably get on with the hard stuff now," Jasper suggested and we all knew he was referring to my dad's estate.

"Dad wanted to be cremated and those details are already taken care of. I think the town wants to do the Memorial but I guess we need to talk to the mayor," I told everyone but wasn't able to keep the pain from my voice when I thought about Charlie not being here anymore.

"Harry already called and Forks and La Push are going to do a joint Memorial then the bulk of his ashes are to be scattered at sea. Charlie had asked that two small urns with a portion of his remains be made so we could keep a small piece of him with us. One was for you and the other for me and the kids. At the moment, the Service is planned for this Saturday," Sue informed me then continued hesitantly, "Bella… I contacted Renee this morning, she's not coming. To be honest, the bitch told me that she was too busy because she was expecting twins."

I'd always known that my mother was selfish but this blatant rejection was too much for me. All of the emotions that I fought so hard to control burst free of the damn that had held them and flooded over me; sobs shook my body as tears flowed freely. It felt like somebody had stabbed me in the heart then cruelly twisted the blade. At some point, I passed out and when I woke up it was dinner time. Sam and the Clearwater's had left by this point but promised Char that they'd be back tomorrow to help start going through all of Charlie's things to determine what went where.

It was my bad luck that the first thing I heard upon coming to was Jasper demanding why Alice had been aroused before she left the house. Torie snickered while the other vampires looked at the psychic and waited for an answer. Of course, the raven haired vampire had to rat me out and picked up the book from where Peter had put it and showed them the picture before she hiked up her skirt to show them. Then the stupid Pixiepire reached under the couch and pulled out my toy box. The three Whitlock's decided to take out every item to inspect them. Char lifted the plastic handle connected to the loops of fluffy cord and looked at me puzzled.

"Sugar, what's this," she asked with a smirk.

"…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," my mate retorted.

"…"

"Care to share that one more time only louder," the blonde quipped.

"It's a Virgin Flogger, a beginner's toy that's not supposed to hurt as much as the real thing," I breathed while my cheeks blazed a deep crimson and all the vampires laughed. Just as I was about to mentally thank God that nobody had found the box of panties with the removable vibrator that was controlled from a wireless remote, the evil seer rushed into the laundry room and found where I'd hidden the box then came back for show and tell. I ordered them about a week ago and they'd arrived last Wednesday and I hadn't had the chance to try them out yet.

"Alice, you can keep those if you want because Bella won't need them anytime soon," Charlotte offered much to my annoyance. The look my mate shot me when I was about to protest told me that she considered them a breach of her whole "no touching myself" rule.

The girls all went into the kitchen to fix me something to eat while the boys went down to the video store to rent some movies. I ate but was wiped out from the day and decided to call it a night. Char led me upstairs, helped me change then held me until I fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: This story is mine, everything else belongs to the talented SM._

Ch. 7: A Bad Day

BPOV

The days since my father's death had turned into a blur with only a few coherent spots in my memory, like the conversations the morning after. Sam and the Clearwater's had become a near permanent fixture in the house. Sue, along with my Charlotte, made sure I ate regularly. I spent most of the time in numb haze and barely registered all the people that showed up to offer condolences. When the unwelcome visits became too much, my family ran interference for me. There was little doubt in my mind that they were my family; several times a day that was proven as wolves, vampires and the older humans – Sue and Harry – blended into a seamless unit. Unfortunately, we were two members short because Twatward called last night so Alice and Jasper had to leave to rejoin the Cullen's before the mind reader grew suspicious.

Today was Charlie's funeral and while my mind was freed from its haze, I was even more emotionally numb and my body felt unusually cold. My mate had been holding me when I woke up and, in what had become routine, had helped me with my morning ritual. After a quick shower and dressing in the clothes that had been laid out on the bed, she led me downstairs where Sue had a plateful of breakfast waiting for me. Part of me was amazed that the older woman had managed to save even that much food considering how much the wolves ate. With Char's unspoken permission, I moved around the table and gave everyone a hug and kiss before I sank into an empty chair than ate the food while Sam, Lee Lee, and Seth gazed longingly at my plate. I looked around and noticed that Torie and Peter were missing.

"They're out getting appropriate clothes to wear at the funeral," the petite blonde vampire explained when she noticed my puzzled expression. I nodded then tucked into my food before one of the others tried to help me polish it off.

The memorial service was held in a large field on the outskirts of town because the church was too small to hold everyone from Forks and La Push that were in attendance. Reverend Webber had waited to start until I arrived. Everyone's eyes were on me when I finally arrived surrounded by my new family. There was a lot of whispering as we made our way to the section of seats that had been set aside for us but they died after the mixed group of supernaturals glared into the crowd.

After a brief sermon and a few prayers, one by one, people made their way to the front of the assembly and gave an anecdote or two before they returned to their seats. Sue was coming back to her seat from telling a story of story of how she and Charlie had gotten together; the crowd grew silent and I knew it was my turn to speak. Slowly, I stood up then moved to the front of the gathering. Several seconds ticked by as I organized my thoughts.

"My dad had difficulty talking about his feelings but I knew how much he loved me; it was in the little things he did for me that spoke louder than words ever could. As much as he loved me, he loved this town and La Push. As much as it hurts that he's gone, it helps to know how much both communities loved him as well. Thank you," I said hoarsely then ran back to my seat while tears flowed down my cheeks.

The memorial ended with the presentations of the two small urns to me and Sue then everyone started to head back to their cars. Harry gave me a hug then carried a coffee can that held the bulk of Charlie's remains to his truck. He and Old Quil were going to take his boat out and scatter the ashes in their favorite fishing spot. Sam took Sue, Leah and Seth back to their place but promised they'd come over tomorrow to help get things boxed up. Apparently, my stomach had been growling because Torie suggested we head to Port Angeles to get me some food then maybe catch a movie because we all needed to decompress after all the raw emotion of the memorial.

Char cuddled in the back seat of the rental with me while Peter drove. The four of us stood in front of Port Angeles' best seafood restaurant a half-hour later. Outside of The Lodge in Forks, this had been one of my father's favorite places to eat. Not long after we were seated at a table, four off duty State Troopers came in with their families. One of them must've recognized me because the gaggle of people wandered over then offered their condolences. I hadn't realized just how many people had known Charlie. They drifted off and I was able to enjoy my meal, the owner informed that the Troopers had already taken care of the check when my new brother asked for it.

I went the bathroom before we left the restaurant; there were still a couple of hours before our movie started and the others wanted to see the sites. Something hadn't felt right when I exited the women's room but I chalked it up my imagination. I heard the men's room door open and close behind me then a large russet skinned hand covered my mouth as I was jerked back. The arms that held me were too strong and I was dragged out the exit door by the restrooms.

"A promise is a promise," the familiar voice of Jacob Black hissed in my ear at the same time I bit one of his fingers hard enough to draw blood.

"CHARLOTTE," I managed to scream when he pulled the hand away but the bastard spun me around then smashed my face with his fist and everything faded to darkness.

JPOV (Jake)

I'd thrown my unconscious mate over my shoulder then bolted into the forest before her bloodsuckers could interfere. My mind was preoccupied with all the things I was going to do to Bella that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings. A dark haired leech with ruby red eyes stepped out of the trees in front of me. I dropped the dead weight I'd been carrying and, not too gently, kicked her behind me then glared.

"I'm afraid whatever plans you made have gone out the window. That girl is going to be my dinner. If you run away now, I promise not to chase after you," the bloodsucker commented in a French accent.

"You're the only one that's going to die today, Tick," I spat just before I phased.

?POV

When I'd reached Las Vegas, it hadn't taken long to find the house the Captain and Sergeant shared with another vampire. The place had been empty but the scents were strong enough that I knew I hadn't missed them by much, maybe a couple of days. My orders were to do recon only but I didn't know if they planned to come back. There were two choices before me; I could continue to track them or report back empty handed and face unspeakable wrath. In the end, it really was a no brainer and I locked onto the strange vamp's scent and followed it.

The trail ended at a house in Bum Fuck, Washington. There were other vampires scents, including the Major's, and something rank but the most startling scent was that of a human. This house was empty as well but the trail led me to a park where some kind of function had taken place. By this time, I needed to feed so I headed towards the neighboring town of Port Angeles to find a victim.

I stumbled into a small clearing where some nomad and an oversized wolf circled each other. Not far away, a human girl lay crumpled on the grass. The wind blew my direction and I instantly recognized her scent from the house my prey had been staying at. While I contemplated my next move, the sound of three vampires running through the forest drew my attention. The Captain, Sergeant and an unknown female vampire with red hair stalked out of the trees. The redhead crouched by the human girl protectively while her companions entered the fray.

The original vamp and the wolf were so focused on each other, they hadn't noticed the others arrive. I watched as the Captain made short work of the dark haired nomad then his attention, like mine, focused on his mate fighting the wolf. She was a seasoned warrior and normally would've made quick work of her enemy but the small blonde obviously felt the need to make the awful smelling mutt feel a great deal of pain. Eventually, the Sergeant grew tired of playing with the animal and snapped its neck. I almost gasped and gave away my position when I saw the beast change back into dead Indian.

With a satisfied glint in her eyes, she rushed back over to the unconscious human then began pull the girl into her arms. Obviously, the human was important to my quarry so I decided to fade back into the shadows and started to make my way back to base. Maria was going to reward me for finding leverage to use against her wayward soldiers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: There is only one Twilight and SM is its owner._

Ch. 8: Goodbye Old Life, Hello New

BPOV

The day after the funeral and my almost kidnapping was, by far, the worst of my existence. On the way back to the car from the battle site, Peter and Char had run a quick perimeter check as Torie stayed with me and found another scent besides Jake's and Laurent's; one they recognized as being from a vampire that had tracked them a couple times over the years. Needless to say, the movie was cancelled because I was officially on lockdown but they stopped at the PA Blockbuster on the way home. My brother picked out the Porky's trilogy, my mate got the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy while my sister and I decided on Planet Terror/Deathproof, Van Helsing, John Carpenter's Vampires and its first sequel – Vampires: Los Muertos then finally The Vampire Lovers.

Charlotte made me lasagna for dinner while Peter insisted on watching his selections first. I had to admit that PeeWee reminded me a lot of Mike Newton. When the credits finally rolled on the last part of the trilogy, Torie jumped up and started our movies. The two Grindhouse movies were fuck awesome but my brother got a little nervous when us girls talked about starting testicle collections of our own. We laughed our asses off during Van Helsing and the two John Carpenter movies but that changed with The Vampire Lovers. Don't get me wrong, the movie was a joke just like every other vampire movie but lesbian vampires were just too hot a concept to handle. Just the idea made me wet and halfway through the film I was rubbing up against Char while I licked her neck and tried to get her out of all those clothes. Peter threw Torie over his shoulder then flashed up to my old room; her screams of pleasure as he fucked her brains out only spurred me on. My mate restrained me then reminded me of that stupid no sex thing but she touched like that first night while whispering all the naughty things she was going to do to me when that particular stricture was lifted.

Eventually, the two of us made it up to the bedroom but I couldn't tell you how the movie ended. The emotional rollercoaster of the day caught up with me and I fell into an exhausted sleep in the arms of the woman I loved. Morning came mercilessly early and I had woken up to the front door closing then people moving into both the kitchen and the living room.

"Time to wake up, Sugar," the petite blonde goddess next to me said just before she kissed me then hauled me out of bed and into the bathroom. We had a quick shower together, much to my disappointment, and then got dressed. Sue had breakfast ready by the time we hit the bottom of the stairs.

I ate the jumbled up mass of scrambled eggs and fried potatoes topped with a ton of cheddar cheese while the conversation flowed easily around me. The wolves had already polished off large helpings and I had just started on my second when all the talking stopped as Leah placed a glass jar on the table next to me. Something floated in the clear liquid of the container but my brain hadn't started working yet so I just stared at her in confusion.

"Alice called me last night after getting a vision and said you might want these; there Jacob's balls," my wolf sister explained with a smirk while all the men grimaced and protected their family jewels and the rest of laughed.

"Cool but I thought they'd be bigger," I giggled as everyone groaned.

Sue removed the jar from the table then put it away in a cupboard so it couldn't be seen. The rest of my breakfast was spent in silence. By the time I finished, all humor was gone and tension filled the house. The time had come to start packing up Charlie's stuff and I tried to keep a tight leash on the breakdown that wanted to happen. Before anyone could ask where to start, I ran upstairs and got the deed to the house then went back down to the living room. It had already been signed over to Sue per my father's wishes so she could do what she wanted with it but he had hoped that she'd give it to Sam and Leah. Once the older woman had gotten over her shock, everyone started to get to work in earnest. That's when the water works began and I had my first of several breakdowns of the day.

The next few days were little better as we slowly made our way through Charlie's accumulated crap. My family took it all in stride and after each round of uncontrollable sobbing I felt a little better. Sue and the "kids" picked out mementos and Harry gathered together all of my dad's fishing gear, shotgun and rifles to split with Old Quil. I kept a couple of his flannel shirts, the heirloom pieces he'd inherited from Grandma and Grandpa Swan, as well as his three pistols; the Glock .40 cal that was his service weapon, a snub nosed .38 Chief Special that was his back up and the breach loaded .50 cal target pistol he won at a statewide Police marksmanship competition a few years ago. All of his Police issued stuff was returned to the station along with his shield, which the Mayor officially retired. Torie found a box of pepper foam in the back of his closet and Lee Lee and I laughed our asses off. When I first arrived in Forks, he'd given me a can of pepper spray which was upgraded to the foam after I'd returned for the James incident. He'd given a can to Leah after she started to date Sam. Peter decided that everyone should keep a canister because he was having one of his Yoda moments and thought we'd need them. All of the pictures were boxed up to be put into storage.

It had taken the rest of the month to get Charlie's estate settled. It would've been longer, but Peter got in touch with J. Jenks, the family attorney, and he pushed everything through. I got his 401K and life insurance, which ended up being a hefty some, while Sue was made the beneficiary of his pension. There had been $250, 000 in bonds that he'd inherited when my grandpa passed away and those were divided between Leah and Seth. Because she and Sam were getting the house, she asked for only $50,000 of the bonds. In addition to settling the estate, Jenks also had set up my new identity as Isabella Whitlock.

My last day in Forks was bittersweet to say the least. I had been taken off lockdown only because the Pack was throwing a farewell barbeque. Harry and Old Quil manned the grilled in true guy fashion while Sue guarded the food so none of the wolves snuck a bite here and there. Peter, Char and Sam were being overprotective in their paranoia so the wolves switched out two at a time so that a constant patrol was maintained. As the food was polished off, the Elders told funny stories about the trouble they and Charlie used to get into growing up which left those of us still capable in tears from laughing so hard. Seth thought it was a safe time to bring up some of the adventures he shared with me and Leah whenever the Cullen's went off on hunting trips.

Like the time Lee Lee insisted we take a balloon ride then made the snap decision and we all bungee jumped from the basket. Or time he covered for us girls when we snuck out to the strip club on a school night to see Thunder for Down Under perform. The id's we'd used were so obviously fake that I was surprised the bouncer let us in. Unfortunately, the more he kept talking the more pissed off the Elders, the Alpha and my mate looked. He finally took the hint from the frantic slicing motion of my hand across my throat and had shut his pie hole but the damage was done. The next hour was tense as Sue lectured us but, in the end, she was more pissed that she missed out on going to the strip club. It wasn't long after that that Peter said it was time to leave.

He and Torie went with Jared and Paul while Charlotte and I went with Sam and Leah. The idea was that the scent of the wolves would mask mine and the vampires so nobody could track us. Instead of heading in the direction of Seattle, our little convoy went toward Port Angeles. We went the actual speed limit so it took us a little over an hour to get there. The two cars headed straight for the marina then stopped. The vampires and I got out of the cars then grabbed our things before we said goodbyes. With a promise to call once we got to where ever we were going, I turned and followed my family down the dock until we reached a slip where a 90 foot catamaran was moored. While Peter and Char stowed our things, my sister explained that we were going to sail up to Victoria, British Columbia then switch boats before we continued our journey. When I asked why we weren't going back to their home, she told me the vampires hadn't wanted to take any chances with their mystery stalker.

It turned out that I really enjoyed sailing but, then again, so did my brother. Not two hours after we'd set sail, he was bouncing around like a kid playing pirates. He actually did a decent impression of Jack Sparrow. Of course, being the cheeky fucker that he was, Peter had kept slipping me rum while the girls were looking for movies to watch on the portable DVD player. I almost fell overboard in my drunken state then spent the rest of the day puking over the side as my mate and my sister had taken turns beating Peter's ass. My head was spinning and I vowed never to drink on a boat again. Two cool arms snaked around me then carried me down to my cabin and Char curled up with me in bed. I ended up passing in her comforting embrace.

When I woke up, it was morning on the first day of my new life and I was alone in bed. I started to pout but realized that a new adventure awaited me just outside the cabin door. My mate burst in and told me to get ready because she had a surprise for me…

**AN: Next chapter – it's been a month since everything happened to Bella and you know what that means… LEMON TIME! Also, Eddie and the Stalker vamp make an appearance.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Southern Comfort**

Ch. 9: Second Bite

CPOV (Charlotte)

Just after Peter docked the boat in its slip, I disentangled myself from my mate's limbs and left her sleeping peacefully in the bed while I made my way up to the deck. Just before I was to join my brother and sister in mooring the boat, Torie told me to that they already had it well in hand. While I watched them move about the task at a human pace, an idea popped into my head and I leapt onto the dock then headed into town.

"I'll be back before Bella wakes up," I called out as I hit the ground running.

By the time the sky lit up with the first light of dawn, my plans were firmly set in motion. Moaning and the smell of sex alerted me that Torie and Peter were otherwise engaged so I opened the guide book that I'd picked up in the Marina Office and read through it slowly. The slender volume provided me with ideas to modify my existing plan. My brother and sister had gotten off only a couple of times each before they rejoined me on deck; apparently, they were only having a quickie. They looked at me expectantly and I went over my plans with them. Torie smiled in appreciation then the two of them headed out because they had things to take care of.

It was well after sunrise when I heard my mate's heart rate and breathing change. I flashed into the galley then started on her breakfast. Once a plate was loaded with a stack of piping hot pancakes and bacon then placed on the table, I went to our state room to get my Sugar. Bella was looking around in sleepy confusion, her lips pulled into an adorable pout until she noticed me in the doorway. That pout morphed into a smile that almost weakened my knees.

"Hurry up and get ready because I've got a surprise for you after breakfast," I told her then slinked over to the bed and kissed her passionately before leaving her to get dressed.

BPOV

Charlotte's kiss had left me breathless and liquid heat pooled between my thighs. I whimpered with want and need when she broke the kiss then left me to get ready. The onyx eyes that I'd caught a glimpse of before she turned away from me told me my mate felt the same way as me. My hand itched to caress my dripping folds before getting down to business until my body shook in climax. The only problem was that I was still not allowed to touch myself. Part of me tried to convince myself that she'd never find out if masturbated just this once but where my rational mind tried to play Devil's Advocate, all of my instincts screamed at me to submit to Char and not do anything that would get me punished or upset her. Reluctantly, I rolled out of bed made my way to my bag to get an outfit to wear today.

Breakfast was taste perfection, as usual, but I managed to surprise the petite blonde vampire when I dropped into her lap and pull the plate of food over to me instead of sitting in the chair the food had originally sat in front of. After breakfast is warming my belly, I turned around then nuzzled and licked her neck. Char moaned and I tried to snake one of my hands under her shirt but she grabbed my wrist and stopped me before it got past the hem. A cool forehead is pressed into mine and it had taken a few minutes to get my raging hormones under control.

"I haven't forgotten my promise, Sug, and I'll make it up to you later but we've got plans for today so we need to get a move on," the older woman breathed huskily in my ear.

Charlotte led us out of the marina and I noticed a horse and carriage in front of us. She helped me into it then gave instructions to the driver. The next several hours was spent on a horse drawn tour of the city while the driver played tour guide. The older gentleman occasionally stopped and we got out to meander through different museums and other attractions. After we'd seen most of the sights, the carriage stopped in an upscale retail district. I was dragged into a boutique and my mate grabbed six dresses then pushed me into one of the dressing rooms with orders to try them all on. A few seconds later, I heard the chime of the door and I suspected that I'd been left alone. That feeling ended with the shop door opened again and I felt Char's presence just outside the dressing room.

I tried on all the dresses but ended up getting the deep purple wraparound that went down to my mid-thigh. It made me feel sexy but it was the lust filled expression on the vampire's face when she saw me in it that cinched the deal. There were already a couple of bags next to her seat so as soon as the dress was paid for, she led me outside and hailed a cab. Charlotte mentioned the name of some hotel and the driver pulled out into traffic. At my questioning expression, she leaned over until her mouth hovered by my ear.

"Peter and Torie are buying a new boat for the next part of our trip and it won't be ready until tomorrow. I wanted some alone time with my sexy minx, so I'm taking you on a date then I believe there's a promise I need to make good on," she whispered then flicked her tongue along the shell of my ear. I bit down on my lip in an effort to stop moaning because I wanted to keep from giving the cabbie a free show because I needed more and my mate knew it.

We reached the hotel and the blonde went over to the desk and checked us in. Then she guided me toward the elevator and distracted me by pulling me into a kiss as she pressed the button for our floor. The vampire ended the kiss only after the elevator doors opened and she pushed me out. When she pulled away, I noticed we were in the penthouse. Char flashed to the bedroom and dropped off our bags while I explored the luxury suite. She found me on the balcony enjoying the view.

"Why don't ya take a hot bubble bath, I'll lay out your clothes for when you get out and we can go out to dinner," she suggested and the thought of a hot bath seemed like what I needed to ease the butterflies in my stomach as it had gotten closer to our date.

The bubble bath worked like a charm and helped ease my nerves. I heard Char moving around in the room but she never checked on me. I understood that she was giving me time to think things out because she'd never force me to do anything I wasn't ready for. Truth was that I'd been ready for this next step for a while now. I needed my mate to claim my body as she'd already claimed my heart. When I got out of the tub and dried off, I found my new dress lain out on the bed but I hadn't expected to find a matching bra/panty/garter belt set, silk stockings and purple four inch heels. I dressed quickly then curled my hair and tried to remember Alice's lessons on how to give myself smoky eyes with my make-up. After the entire look was finished, I emerged into the living area and found my warrior-goddess in a tight little black dress with a plunging neckline, stockings and black stilettos. She had charcoal eye shadow and her lips were a brilliant scarlet. The vampire commented on how good I looked then held my hand as she moved us to the elevator.

Charlotte had chosen an Indian restaurant for our date. I found out that I really liked curry and tan dory rice as she fed me my meal. After every bite, her cool fingers brushed lightly across my lips. It was very sensual and by the end of dinner my panties were soaked. She tortured me further by insisting that we went dancing at a nearby club when all the food was gone. Almost immediately, I was dragged out of the restaurant then into the club. The loud Techno music that blared from the speakers wasn't normally my thing but the thumping beat reverberated through the room in time with my heart. The dance floor was crowded but, unfortunately, I wasn't able to focus on the either the music or the press of bodies that surrounded me because the blonde vampire was all around me. Her front was pressed tightly into my back while her hands explored my clothed torso.

The second her cool breath brushed along my scar, I moaned and collapsed into her embrace as my knees gave out. Slowly, sensually, Char swayed us off the dance floor then out of the club. Whenever I tried to break the spell, the other woman simply manipulated my scar and I was putty in her wickedly nimble hands. My arousal ran down my thighs the entire way back to the hotel and up to our room. The fog of lust that hazed my brain lifted once we reached the bedroom. My mate had raised her hand to undress me but with great difficulty I stopped her. She gave me a confused look and my eyes lowered submissively.

"You've done so much for me… please let me show you how much I appreciate that and love you," I whispered meekly without lifting my gaze.

"Okay," Charlotte breathed shakily.

Despite my nerves, my hands remained steady as the worked to remove the vampire's clothes. In less than a minute, she was naked and allowed me to gently guide her back onto the bed. As she lay there, I removed my dress along with my bra and panties but left on the garter belt, stockings and heels. I crawled onto the bed and settled my body along her then kissed her lips and tried to all of my love for her into it. Afterward, I kissed, licked and nipped every one of the scars that perforated her body.

Char's core, as well as the sheets below it, was soaked by the time I'd made my way back up to the apex between her thighs. I blew along her slit and the blonde moaned wantonly. Tentatively, I pushed her legs further apart then lightly brushed my fingertips over the length of her inner lips. The vampire bucked her hips in an attempt to get more contact but I continued with my delicate stroking. Her frustrated whimpers forced me to stop what I was doing and focused my instincts on pleasing her. I lowered my head to her sex and worshipped her pussy with long, loving, strokes of my tongue. Charlotte's fingers tangled themselves in my hair and held me in place. Her hips bucked again then I narrowed my attention to her engorged clit. I wrapped my lips around the sensitive bundle of nerves and sucked as I flicked over it with the tip of my tongue. I noticed her body tighten as the need to cum continued to grow. I bit down on her clit as I increased the speed of my tongue.

"BELLA," she screamed as she came and I spent a few minutes licking her clean. When I finished, my warrior-goddess pulled me up then kissed me before she flipped our positions.

First, kissed and licked down my neck then across my clavicle. Next, she spent twenty minutes paying attention to my breast. Finally, her tongue trailed down my stomach until her mouth settled over my dripping sex. Much like I'd done, her fingertips ghosted over the damp flesh as she explored my folds. I gasped when her tongue unexpectedly thrust into my entrance. She fucked me with that delicious muscle until all of her efforts zoned in on my aching clit. Throughout her ministrations, one of her hands continuously worked my scar.

"CHARLOTTE," I cried out ecstatically as the most intense orgasm I'd ever had exploded from me. The vampire slid up my body while I was still in the middle of my climax.

"Mine," Char purred possessively then her teeth bit into the flesh of my scar for the second time. My cry increased at the same time my orgasm intensified. My body was still shaking with aftershocks when I fell into an exhausted sleep curled into her side.

EPOV (Edward)

_*Seven hours earlier*_

My family and I had returned to the Denali's house from a morning hunt and while my hunger was sated, my mind was troubled. Alice and Jasper had been blocking the majority of their thoughts ever since they rejoined us in Alaska. Every once in a while, they'd slip up but the only thing I got from either of their minds was how much they loathed me or how badly they wanted to "roast my ass." The pair had rapidly become my least favorite siblings. Rose and Emmett made no qualms about showing how much the despised me for "ruining our family" but at least they had not harbored homicidal thoughts toward me.

Tanya accosted me the moment I flashed into the house while the rest of her family greeted mine and asked about our hunt. The Succubus had been relentless in her pursuit of me but until Bella, I had managed to resist her charms. Ever since I abandoned the human, that task has become increasingly difficult. I grew tired of the struggle and suggested we go up to my room to enjoy some music. All the other vampires in the room gaped at me in shock but the strawberry blonde jumped at the opportunity and had us locked behind my bedroom door before I registered the action.

"Tanya… what…," I was able to stammer seconds before my naked body was thrown onto the bed. Rational thought became impossible after the Succubus swallowed my hardened member down to the root. Nearly lost in the pleasure of Tanya's ministrations, the only thing that was able to snap me back to reality was a vision that broke through Alice's blocking efforts.

"NO," I roared as the image of a nearly nude Bella orally servicing that abomination, Charlotte. The poor Denali sister had been startled by my outburst then bit down on my penis while it was still fully sheathed in her mouth after I absentmindedly bucked my hips. The burn of her venom made me both scream in pain and ejaculate hard down her throat. She released my manhood only after swallowing every last drop of my seed. As much as I wanted to rush downstairs and tear my pixie-like sister to pieces, the instinctual need to please Tanya kept me pinned to the bed. When I was about to pull her up into a kiss, she swallowed my rigid length once me. Her head bobbed on my member until I felt my testicles tighten; she bit into her early mark and the pleasure and pain sent me over the edge again. During the initial spurt of my seed, she bit that scar yet again and it felt like chains bound me to her.

"You're mine now, my pet," The strawberry blonde vampire hissed in my ear as my manhood still leaked my cold seed then a sneer graced twisted her lips as she pulled back to look into my eyes when I tried to roll her over.

"No, you won't be fucking me anytime soon because you've displeased me by making me wait. Now, pack up your things and put them in my room. After they are put away, you will remain there. You won't hunt, touch yourself cum until I give you permission, understood," she demanded as she pulled us out of bed.

"Yes, Tanya, my love," I answered but her expression became angered. One of her hands shot out and wrapped around the mark she had placed on my penis. I screamed in agony then dropped to my knees while she simply bent at the waste.

"Don't ever refer to me as anything other than Mistress from now on. In fact, you are never to speak to anyone unless spoken to; your eyes shall always remain on the floor unless ordered otherwise and whenever you are in our room you will be naked, on your knees with your hands clasped behind your back… understood," the other vampire snarled.

"Yes, Mistress, I exist only to please you," I answered solemnly and tried not to get distracted by the humored thoughts of everyone down in the living room.

?POV

I made it back to camp and went straight to Maria's quarters to make my report. I'd stopped just once on my return journey long enough to make sketches of everything I'd observed. The olive toned Hispanic vampire sat behind her desk; she glanced up when I entered and steepled her fingers in front of her as she rested her elbows on the mahogany surface. Bree slipped in behind me before I closed the door then took up her place to the right of our Mistress.

"Report," Maria barked impatiently. I placed the rubber banded roll of sketches on the desk before her and gave a full account of everything that had happened during my mission down to the smallest detail. A brilliant smile lit up her face by the time I finished and she'd looked through the drawings.

"You have done well, Riley. My grandchildren have remained battle ready in their long absence and have kept in touch with their Sire. My informants have told me that my child has mated and joined the Olympic Coven. Rest for the rest of the day because you will be leaving in the morning with Bree to track down Carlisle Cullen," she decreed then dismissed me with a gesture.

"Soon I'll have my brother's head on a platter and my mate at my side again," I heard her murmur as I fled the room.

BPOV

The buzzing of Charlotte's phone woke me up and I was pleased to find myself still cuddled up against my mate. Even if I wanted to move, my muscles felt like jello and wouldn't respond to my mental commands. A cold finger gently tilted up my head into I was lost in the crimson eyes of my mate.

"Peter and Tori picked up the keys to the new boat and gave me the slip number. They want to head out in an hour so we need to get dressed, get you fed then meet up with them," the petite blonde told me and I knew she was just as sad as I was about leaving the bed. I watched her put her cell back on the nightstand then pick up a small rectangular box of blue velvet. She placed it on my chest then eyed me expectantly then realized I wasn't able to move. Her slender fingers opened the box and revealed a necklace that held some kind of Asian symbols.

"Those symbols are the Chinese characters for Dragon and Warrior. During the Southern Wars, one of our enemies had a newborn that was changed in one of the railroad camps. He was the only survivor of the opposing army and called Jasper a Dragon Warrior. Jazz later used the symbols like a family crest. My brothers have them branded over their hearts and I have them branded on the back of my neck. We decided each of our mates would be given a necklace," she explained then put the piece of jewelry around my neck while tears trailed down my cheeks.

"Thank you, I'll wear it with honor," I said with awed reverence then kissed her.

Char helped me out of bed and get dressed. By the time she was finished, my limbs were functioning, if only weakly. We hit a McDonald's then caught a cab and went straight to the marina. Peter and Tori waited for us impatiently on the deck of a 120 foot yacht called Disco Balls. My mate and I just rolled our eyes as we made our way onboard.

"Finally," our brother stated with exasperation then started to cast off. Something told me that he was talking about our recent sexcapade and not our arrival.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully, I can get another update for one of my stories out tomorrow.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Southern Comfort**

_Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Twilight… big surprise!_

Ch. 10: The Vengeful Queen

MPOV (Maria)

After Riley slipped out of my office an air of tense excitement filled the room while I re-examined the sketches on the desk. They were spread out and Bree leaned over then traced her fingers along the images of Peter and Charlotte. I hadn't needed any kind of power to know that her face held an expression of longing for her missing family; not that they remembered her. The old anger and pent up emotions threatened to break free from the dark recesses of my mind where I'd kept them locked away and there was too much left to do before I allowed myself to wallow. I reached up and squeezed her shoulder in a sympathetic gesture reserved for those closest to my heart and never seen by my minions. She leaned into my touch for just a second then stacked the sketches into a neat pile and awaited instructions.

Bree was my second child and the first one that I'd created on this continent. After I'd been forced to flee my home and abandon my mate, I'd made my way to Spain then snuck onto a currier ship bound for England that carried the papal assassin charged with killing Elizabeth I. I lived in the sewers under London with a small coven of former Roman soldiers. When things became too dangerous to stay on that island any longer, I made my way to the New World but not before I made my first child. He had been handsome with an aura of compassion that I needed to preserve.

When I reached the New World, I stayed primarily among the Spanish colonies in the South. But that was only after I wiped out that poor English settlement on Roanoke Island; admittedly, I'd been starving after the long sea voyage. I'll never understand why one of the poor fools carved Croatoan on that tree… I was born and raised on Crete. Anyway, I eventually decided that I wanted to explore the North. It was in Salem, Massachusetts, during the height of the Witch Trials that I found her.

My eldest daughter had been a fifteen year old girl with a dangerous secret when I found her bathing in a secluded pond. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one that found her; a malicious bitch saw her climb out of the water then ran off to get the witch hunters. Bree had been born a hermaphrodite and the superstitious idiots would've thought it was a sign that she was a minion of Satan then killed her. I wasn't going to let them torture and murder her so I acted swiftly. The young woman watched as I approached her and seemed resigned to the fate that awaited her. She'd been shocked when I offered her immortality instead of a horrendous death and quickly accepted. We were miles away before the magistrate and his lackeys reached the pond.

The jet black haired girl slept off and on in my arms as I ran all the way back to my home in Mexico. After she was settled into a room and fed, Bree asked all sorts of questions about vampires and the change. I answered them to the best of my ability then after allowing her a good night's rest, I bit into her neck and pumped as much of my venom into her as possible.

The venom burned through her system and lengthened her hair so that it hung down to her lower back, rounded her hips, filled out her breasts and had given her two fully functioning sexual organs (one of which was a seven and a half inch penis) along with all the usual changes. The biggest surprise came when my daughter awoke from her change and I realized that she was a Succubus; she had no other gifts but then she didn't need them because of the innate ones that came with being what she was were more than enough. Succubi, and Incubi for that matter, all share a limited empathic ability to induce lust as well as create thralls of other vampires through using the three-bite mating process. She was just as effective a right hand as the Major would become.

I pulled open the lower drawer of the desk then removed a 3'x5' simple wooden box then placed it on top of it. Bree looked on as I had taken off the lid of the box and pulled out a bronze disk almost as old as I was with a Linear A inscription in my native Minoan and a dark blue velvet drawstring bag. Both of which I handed to my daughter.

"When you find Carlisle, show the disk to him," I explained as the other vampire put the piece of bronze in the bag then placed the bag into one of her front pants pockets.

Bree left shortly afterward and I got up from the desk then opened the secret door that was hidden behind one of the book cases. I closed the door behind me then glided down the darkened passage until it opened up into the chamber that was my inner sanctum. Light from sconces along the walls glowed softly and a Roman style couch sat in the middle of the room. The only other decorations in the room were two paintings on opposite walls to either side of the couch. The one I never looked at showed my old face, the one I'd been born with then made to abandon because of my twin's treachery. I collapsed onto the couch and focused my attention on the other portrait; it was of my Dark Angel… my mate, the heart of my existence… my Marcus.

"Not much longer, my beloved, and Aro will pay for his betrayal. The army is almost complete and soon my wayward lambs shall come home," I whispered then lay back and let my mind be filled with daydreams of the reunion with my love.

**AN: There you have it, Maria is actually Didyme and things aren't what everyone thinks they are in the Twilight universe.**


	11. Chapter 11

**An open letter to : PLEASE READ**

I recently received an alert from the Administrators of this site that my story, The Care and Feeding of Zombies, had been deleted from the site for violating the its rules and story guidelines. At first I was a bit upset but then I skimmed through the guidelines and realized that they were correct in their action because I happened to use the word "Bitches" within the body of the summary. All I needed to do was replace that one word then upload the story again but I put that on the back burner as I was working on updating a couple of my fics. The updates weren't going as well as I would've liked so a couple of days later I started looking for new chapters to some stories I was following. Imagine my shock when I found Author's Notes explaining that as of 6/4/2012 the administrators of were going to start taking down all stories that contained lemons and graphic violence.

Once I got over my shock, I understood that all but maybe two of my stories were going to be on the chopping block so I went back and fully re-read all the rules and guidelines again. What I learned was that the people in charge of this site basically created a major Grey Area for authors. You see, the rules and limited submission guidelines haven't been updated since _**2008**_ (and make no prohibitions against either lemons or violence) but do have a nice warning in red just before the definition of Story Ratings about the site not allowing explicit content within the stories published on .

Now here is the issue: What constitutes explicit content? We don't live inside of a 1950's sitcom where mom and dad share a room but separate bed and sleep in body covering pajamas. We live in the real world of the 21st Century. Every year, Hollywood pushes the boundaries between R and NC-17 ratings and what is acceptable within the lower rating; just as the Television Industry pushes the limits if their FCC Regulations for content. This brings us back to that red warning and the soon to be deleted stories because I don't think the administrators have thought their decision through logically.

How many authors are going to get pissed off and stop posting to this site? How many thousands of good stories are going to be lost? Or, better yet, how many fandoms are going to be completely wiped out? Think about that for a second – Supernatural fanfics… gone; True Blood and Sookie Stackhouse/SVM fics… bye-bye; Lost Girl… poof; Rachel Morgan/The Hollows Series… gone without a trace and those are just the tip of the iceberg. Then there are the fics based on Harry Potter, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle and The Hunger Games that are going to take major hits. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that they – and most fandoms – will be decimated to the point of it pointless to read whatever survives the purge (but I hope I'm wrong).

To me, it would be easier for those in charge to update the rules and guidelines then get rid of the red warning entirely or offer a separate site where such stories might be published instead of the idiotic task they've decided to undertake. Therefore, I have decided to not update any of my stories until such time as I can find a new home for them. If you know of such a place let me know and I get right on the transfer. In the meantime, I might take up the challenge of re-writing and re-imagining Sun and Moon for this site using only implied lemons and non-graphic violence.

Thank you,

J. (Kolchaksghost)


	12. Chapter 12

**New Home**

I find it ironic that right after I posted my Open Letter that I was able to find a new home. I've decided to join OrangeSmurfette and others over at The Writer's Coffee Shop; same penname but more freedom of expression. I'll start transferring my stories there very soon but don't know how long it's going to take to get everything moved. Old, completed stories and one-shots are going to be the first to go but the problem is that I plan to do some minor editing as I go which is why it might take a while to update any of my current stuff.

To find me, just go to .com then click on their library link. Hope to see all of my faithful readers over there.


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